Athletes

Country

Sport

Name

Evan Jager

Country: United States

Sport: Track & Field

Height: 6'2"
/ 1.88m

Weight: 146 lbs
/ 66.2 kg

Born: 3/8/1989

Hometown: Portland, OR, USA

Career Highlights: A recent switch to the 3,000-meter steeplechase paid off in a big way for Jager at the U.S. Olympic trials. He was running the race for just the fourth time, but he won in a personal-best 8:17.40 to earn his first trip to the Olympics. "I wasn’t really worried about my lack of experience coming into the trials because the steeple felt so natural," Jager said. "My first race I was just a few seconds under the (Olympic) 'A' standard, so I was pretty confident I could come and compete with these guys." The performance capped a comeback from a broken foot, which required surgery and cost him much of the 2010 season. During his recovery, he and coach Jerry Schumacher decided to make the shift from running the 1,500 and the 5,000 to the daunting steeplechase, which has hurdles that seem to suit Jager's long, lean body. It wasn't the first time he has taken a bit of a leap of faith. A standout high school runner in suburban Chicago, Jager chose to leave the University of Wisconsin after one year to turn pro and work under Schumacher in Oregon. He earned a spot at the world championships in the 5,000 in 2009, but this event change has taken his career to new heights.